U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Howard Bodyfield
ERICSON -- Howard F. Bodyfield, 99, of Ericson died Saturday, Sept. 22, 2001, at the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Ericson United Methodist Church. The Rev. Michael Anderson will officiate. Burial will be in the Cottonwood cemetery in Burwell.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ord Memorial Chapel.
Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the Ericson United Methodist Church or the donor's choice.
Mr. Bodyfield was born Dec. 28, 1901, in a sod house in Garfield County six miles west of Ericson to Jim and Alice (Peterson) Bodyfield. He spent his whole life within a half mile of his parents' home. He attended school at District 10 and also a short time at Ord High School.
He married
Mabel Petersen on March 19, 1927, in Ord. The couple farmed and ranched a half mile from his parents' home place. He was very proud of the pure breed registered hereford cows he raised. His wife died Feb. 16, 1996. He continued to live on the ranch until health concerns necessitated that he move to the Corner Cottage in Ord, and last May he moved to the Valley County Nursing Home.
He was a member of the Ord Elks Lodge and the American Hereford Association.
Survivors include a nephew and wife, Victor and Julianna Bodyfield of Ericson, and two nieces and husband, Barbara and Everett Molesworth of Burwell and Beth Sloan of Columbus.
He was preceded in death by his wife; a brother, Mark Bodyfield; and a sister, Marie Wilson.
Dale Dixon
HASTINGS -- Dale Dixon, 62, of Hastings died Friday, Sept. 21, 2001, as a result of an accident in South Dakota.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Butler-Volland Chapel in Hastings. The Rev. Kathleen Kasper will officiate. Burial will be in Parkview cemetery in Hastings.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 a.m. until service Wednesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Omaha Home for Boys.
Mr. Dixon was born Sept. 28, 1938, at Nebraska City to Alvin and Bessie (Karth) Dixon. He graduated from Nebraska City High School in 1957.
He married
Sharon K. McKnight on March 13, 1982. The couple moved to Hastings in 1995. He was a truck driver for Meadow Gold for 20 years and for Cleary Building in Grand Island for the last six years.
Survivors include his wife; six sons and daughters-in-law, Ronald and Arnie Dixon of Grand Island, Gary and Andrea Dixon of Pahrump, Nev., Doug and Renae Dixon of Osceola, Ed Dixon of Hastings, Nathan Dixon and friend Kristin Siess of Lincoln and Tory and Gayla Smith of North Platte; two daughters and son-in-law, Trina Meyers and friend Jeff Their of Grand Island and Tami and Wade Pierson of Des Moines, Iowa; 14 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Harold and Letty Dixon of Nebraska City and Don and Shirley Dixon of La Vista; a sister and brother-in-law, Doris and Les Isaacs of Ravenna; and mother-in-law, Jeanne McKnight of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.
Ervin Eckstrom
85, mechanic/farmer/custodian
PALMER -- Ervin M. Eckstrom, 85, of Palmer died Sunday, Sept. 23, 2001, at his home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Wesleyan Church in Palmer with the Revs. Alan Houston and John Robertson officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill cemetery in Palmer.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the church.
Palmer Funeral Home in Palmer is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the Palmer Rescue Squad.
Mr. Eckstrom was born Feb. 14, 1916, near Palmer to George J. and Mary T. (Deertz) Eckstrom. He was educated in rural Merrick County School District 36.
In 1931 he started working for Lambert's ranch, where he worked until 1942 when he was drafted in to the U.S. Army. He served in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. He later was stationed in Crawford as a military policeman and then in Scottsbluff to guard German prisoners. He was discharged in 1945.
On July 3, 1945, he married
Viola J. Peck in Palmer. He farmed until 1962 when he began doing custodial work and driving buses for Palmer Public Schools. In 1972 he began doing custodial work at Grand Island Senior High School. He semi-retired in 1982 and did substitute custodial work for the Grand Island School District until 1994.
He was a charter member of the Palmer Wesleyan Church and a member of the Nebraska Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife, Viola of Palmer; two sons and daughters-in-law, Dennis and Jane and Lonnie and Cheryl, all of Palmer; one daughter and son-in-law, Linda and William Kruse of Grandview, Mo.; 11 grandchildren; three step grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Charles of Central City and Richard of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Gaylene Pulscher; and two brothers, Walter and Leonard.
Wanda Lesiak
FULLERTON -- Wanda M. Lesiak, 86, of Fullerton, died Saturday, Sept. 22, 2001, at her home in Fullerton.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Fullerton. The Revs. Don Cleary and Richard Whiteing will officiate. Burial will be at the Fullerton Catholic Cemetery.
Visitation was Monday with a 7 p.m. vigil service followed by a rosary at Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton.
Mrs. Lesiak was born Oct. 17, 1914, in Platte County to John and Mary (Bargiel) Bialas. She grew up in Nance County, attending Krakow Catholic School for one year, then District 23 near Fullerton.
She married
Joseph Lesiak at Krakow on Feb. 24, 1936. They lived and farmed in Nance County. They retired in March 1976, and moved to Fullerton. Her husband died Feb. 3, 1997.
She was a member of the St. Peter's Catholic Church and St. Ann's Altar Society. She enjoyed cooking, crocheting, gardening, quilting, playing cards and her family.
Survivors include four daughters and sons-in-law, JoAnn and Leonard Stanczyk, Delores and Emil Rosno, Patricia and Ed Liss and Kathy Ron Newquist, all of Fullerton; one sister, Tessie Slusarski of Columbus; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; seven brothers, Walter, Leo, Emil, Tony, Alphonse, Alex and Henry; and one sister, Cecilia Lesiak.
Robert Swanson
80, construction worker
CAIRO -- Robert R. Swanson, 80, of Cairo died Monday, Sept. 24, 2001, at St. Francis Skilled Care in Grand Island.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul with the Rev. Larry Lepper officiating. Mickelsen-Larkowski American Legion Post 241 will perform the flag presentation. Mr. Swanson was cremated.
Memorials are suggested to the Grand Island Veterans Hospital.
Mr. Swanson was born July 2, 1921, to Torrey and Ann (Nittler) Swanson in Shickley, where he spent his early years. The family later moved to Burwell, and he graduated from Burwell High School.
In 1942 he entered the U.S. Army, serving during World War II in the Pacific Theater. After his discharge in 1945, he returned to Central Nebraska.
He worked as a bus driver and later worked as a heavy equipment operator in road construction, helping with many road projects, including the interstate system.
On Dec. 22, 1979, he married
Nora Sorensen in Crawford. The couple lived in Wyoming from 1979 to 1981, when they moved to Dannebrog where they owned and operated the Silver Dollar Bar while he continued working for MIssouri Valley Construction.
He was a member of the Mickelsen-Larkowski American Legion Post 241 of Dannebrog and the Platt-Duetsche Society in Grand Island.
He enjoyed his work, gardening and ice fishing.
Survivors include his wife Nora of Cairo; five sons and three daughters-in-law, David and Brook and Mark and Isabell, all of Dannebrog, Earl of Tucson, Ariz., Jim and Judy of Amarillo, Texas, and John of Grand Island; two daughters and sons-in-law, Carrie and Rick Anderson of Hyannis and Janice and Daniel Treice of Omaha; 19 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Cozette Keys; and two brothers, Forrest and Con Swanson.
Dr. Charles Dobry
OMAHA -- Dr. Charles A. Dobry, 64, of Omaha, died Sept. 21, 2001.
Services will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Rockbrock United Methodist Church in Omaha.
The family received friends Monday at Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home in Omaha. There will be no viewing.
Memorials are suggested to Charles A. Dobry Professorship in Radiology at University of Nebraska Foundation in Omaha.
Survivors include his wife, Linda; a son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Stacey Dobry; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Mitch Runco; two grandchildren; and two sisters, Charlotte Ritchie and Doris Hecker.
He was preceded in death by three brothers.
